Electrical heater.



L. E. STOCKER.

ELECTRICAL HEATER. APPucATloM min Amzz. |915.

1,21 5,427. l Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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LAWRENCE E. STOCKER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRICAL HEATER.

Application filed Apr122, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I,LAWRENCE E. STooKnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Heaters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying the same and forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to an electrical heater for heating the stiffening pieces, used particularly in the toes of boot and shoe uppers, or for reheating the same after the upper is pulled over preparatory to lasting. The objects of my invention are to heat or reheat the stiifening pieces by a dry heat, and at the same time to protect the upperl of the shoe from being injured by the heat emanatingl from the heater during the op- Eer-ation of heating or reheating the stiftenmg pieces.

In the drawings accompanying' this specification and forming a part thereof- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the heater which shows the openings therein through which the toe portion of the upper containing the stiffening piece is inserted during the process of heating or reheating the stilfening piece;

l Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken through line 2"-2 Fig. 1, and shows the form of the openings in which the stiffening piece of an upper is inserted during the process of heating or reheating, as well as'showing the electrical heating coils located in the interior of the heater;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing the interior of the heater and the arrangement of the electrical heating Coils therein, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation taken through line lr-1 Fig. 2, and shows the openings adapted to receive the stiffening piece of the upper when the stiffening piece is located in the toe of the boot or shoe, together with the arrangement of the electrical heating coils; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the switch and shows the method of wiring the heating coils so that the electrical current may be either conveyed through a portion of the heating coils or through all the heating coils, as desired, so as to vary the degree of heat in the interior of the heater.

In the drawings, 1 illustrates the body of the heater, which is substantially rec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 23,206.

tangular in form, and 2 and 3 represent openings in one of the sides of the heater into which the toe of the boot or shoe upper may be inserted so as to heat and soften the stiffening piece incorporated therein. The openings 2 and 3 have what might bc termed shelves 4, Ll, secured to the side. These shelves are preferably made of a nonieat conducting material so that the heat of the heating coils will not be readily projected against the material 5 forming the outside of the toe of the boot or shoe upper. These openings 2 and 8 are also guarded by wire screens G so that the upper cannot be pushed against the heating coils when inserting it in the openings. The heating coils 7, 7, etc., and 8, 8, are secured withinv the frame 1 of the rectangular heater in any suitable manner so that they will be insulated from the sides 1. Any suitable insulating material may he used.

The coils 7, 7, etc., and 8, 8, are connected up in series with the electrical wires 9, 10 and 11. In case the current, we will say, comes in through the wire 9 the switch 12 may be set to contact with the terminal 13 of the wire 10 so that the current will flow through the wire 7, 7, etc., and out through the terminal wire 10. This in case only four of the heating coils are used. Vhen all six of the heating coils shown are used, the terminal wire 11 is connected to one of the heating coils 8 so that the current will pass through all the heating coils and out the wire 11 and the terminal 111. When it is desired to use the heat in all of the-heating coils, the switch 12 is connected with the terminal 14 so that the current will come in through the wire 15, through the wire 9, all of the heating coils, out through the wire 11, terminal 14, switch, and the connecting wire 16. The switch 12 is therefore what might be called a two-way switch and controls the flow of current through the heating coils 7, 7, etc., and 8, 8.

In order to show whether the current is flowing properly through the heating coils, I preferably provide a lamp 17 secured in a socket 18 attached to the upper wall of the heater, the terminals of which are in circuit with the coils 7, 7, etc. This lamp 17 may be cut out of circuit by means of the switch 19 secured to one of the sides 1 of the heater. The connecting wires through which the current is conveyed to the heater and which corresponds to the wires 15 and 16 in the diagrammatic illustration are shown as 20 in Fig. l, the current coming in and leaving` through the cable 20.

ln the operation of my heater, Where it is used to heat the stiii'ening` piece incorporated in the toe of a shoe, in making shoes of the box toe type, it is the usual practice to heat the stiffening piece in a heater provided for that purpose, and thereafter What is termed, pull over the upper of the shoe and the stiffening piece, thus practically forming the stitlening piece to the upper si( ot the toe ot the last. rllhen it is usual to allow the stiiiiening piece to cool olii beilore t ie operation of lasting the shoe is performed.

W hen it is desired to perform the opera` tion of lasting,` the shoe the stitfening piece is reheated in the heater embodied in my invention as described herein, and to protect the material of the shoe upper against the maximum degree of heat generated by the heating coils, l provide openings as shown, and a non-heat conducting shelf which pre` rents the heat from directly flowing up and upon the material forming the upper ot' the shoe, but leaves the edges of the material and the stiffening,` part exposed to the Yfull degree of heat so as to heat and soften up the stifeninp,` piece in order that the edges of it may be puclered and formed over the edge ot' the toe of the last and upon the sole to complete the lasting` operation.

l do not coniine my invention to the exact form of heater as described herein or of the parts thereof, as the form may be somewhat Varied so long` as the heater is an inclosed heater and openings are provided for inser tion of the part of the shoe having the stitlening piece incorporated therein into the opening of the heater for the purpose of reheating and softening said stiii'ening piece by a dry heat rather than a moist heat, such as steam or hot Water.

llfhat l claim isl. A heater for heating the stiffening pieces of boot and shoe uppers, comprising a substantially inclosed heater; a plurality of electrical heating coils mounted in said heater; a source of electrical current; means tor controlling the current so as to cause to flow through a portion, or all of the coils, as desired; openings in said heater to permit the insertion of the portion of the upper containing the stiiiening piece; and means tor protecting the upper ironi direct centact with the heating coils.

Q. A heater for heating the stiiiening pieces of boot and shoe uppers, comprising;` a substantially inclosed heater; a plurality of electrical heating coils mounted in said heater; a source of electrical current; means for controlling the current so as to cause it to flow through a portion, or all oi the heating coils, as desired; openings in said heater to permit the insertion of the portion of the upper containing,- the stiilfening piece; means for protecting the shoe upper from direct contact with the heating'coils; and a shell3 to support the inserted portion of a boot oi shoe upper, said sheliI being` composed ot non-heat conducting material.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this the 1st day of February, A. D. 1915.

Lil/VRENCE E. STOCKER. 1Witnesses R. P. ELLIOTT, H. M. KELSO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of E'atents. Washington, D. C.

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